Spain earns bonus 5th Champions League entry with Real Betis in line to benefit

GENEVA (AP) — Spain has clinched a bonus fifth entry into the Champions League next season, UEFA confirmed Friday, with Real Betis on course to earn the spot through the La Liga standings.

Rayo Vallecano’s win against Strasbourg in the Conference League semifinals Thursday gave Spain an insurmountable edge over Germany in the race for an extra Champions League place.

Since the Champions League was revamped into a 36-team format in 2024, UEFA has awarded bonus entries to the two countries whose teams have the best collective record across the three European competitions in the previous season.

Standings leader England had already clinched the first bonus entry for next season’s Champions League, which is worth tens of millions of euros (dollars) in prize money to that club.

Spain and Germany had been in a tight race for the second spot.

Real Betis is fifth in La Liga with four rounds left and is six points ahead of Celta Vigo in sixth.

Betis played just one season in the Champions League 20 years ago, failing to advance from the group stage behind Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Champions League bonus entries went to Borussia Dortmund of Germany and Bologna of Italy for the 2024-25 season. This campaign it was Newcastle and Villarreal.

England could yet have a record-tying six entries in the next Champions League just as it did this season.

Europa League path

The Europa League winner gets a direct entry to the next Champions League, and Aston Villa will play in the final against Freiburg on May 20 in Istanbul.

Villa is fifth in the Premier League with three rounds left. If coach Unai Emery’s team finishes fifth and win the Europa League, then the sixth-place team in the Premier League will get the UEFA bonus entry. Bournemouth is currently sixth and would be a debutant in Europe.

Last season, Tottenham won the Europa League and entered the Champions League despite placing 17th in the Premier League.

England and Spain also will contest the Conference League final. Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano play for the third-tier title on May 27 in Leipzig, Germany. The winner gets direct entry to the Europa League next season.

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